Keep current with all the latest tech developments.

Month: September 2015

-Still seeing many failed Win 10 upgrades. Before you attempt this please make a “disc image” backup of your current system. With this you can return the computer to it’s current state should the upgrade go bad. Use an external hard drive for storing the backup. Step by step instructions for creating a disk image backup in Win Vista/7/8/10 here: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/4241/how-to-create-a-system-image-in-windows-7/

-Electricity here is inconsistent. To avoid serious problems that this can cause get an UPS (universal power supply) to supply power to computers, external hard drives and monitors. Providing 220 volts regardless of incoming surges or drop-outs, it also stores enough power to allow you to close open files and shutdown properly in the event of a power outage. Standard “surge protectors” are insufficient for computers. UPS units, with 2 sockets, start at around 50 euros. Plugging an extension cord into a UPS may place too great a load on it. If necessary, get a UPS with more sockets.

-Sent emails not arriving, updates or Skype stalling, or unable to use sync or cloud services? This may be the result of a poor quality connection or slow upload speeds. Poor quality may cause some services to decide you have disconnected and drop you before the task is complete. Run the test at www.pingtest.net , note this test requires Java and Flash Player to be installed. A score of “B minus” or lower indicates your connection lacks the quality required by some popular services. Check the results details for explanations in plain language of any problems found. If the test shows a poor latency score, or many dropped packets, you can expect some problems uploading. Then check the upload speed at www.speedof.me . To give you an idea of what upload speed you require, Skype will probably be the biggest use of uploading you do unless you are a game player., Skype recommends 300kb/s for basic video calls, 700kb/s for group calls and 1.5mb/s for HD calls.

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Microsoft thinks you’ll love Windows 10 so much, it downloads it for you — without asking!

Microsoft has never rolled out an operating system the way it has pushed 10 to the mass market, so some mistakes were inevitable. The company’s latest blunder? Downloading Windows 10 without asking.

According to the Inquirer, a user who had never “reserved” a copy of Windows 10 in the first place found a large 6GB download sitting in the $Windows.~BT hidden directory, and a series of failed “Upgrade to Windows 10″ tasks in Windows Update’s history. In several cases, the new OS has been downloaded over metered connections, forcing people over their bandwidth caps in the process. When the Inquirer reached out to Microsoft, the company said the following: “For individuals who have chosen to receive automatic updates through Windows Update, we help upgradable devices get ready for Windows 10 by downloading the files they’ll need if they decide to upgrade.

“When the upgrade is ready, the customer will be prompted to install Windows 10 on the device.”

How to delete Microsoft’s unwanted Windows 10 download files AND PREVENT THEM FROM RETURNING

Microsoft now downloads Windows 10 to local devices whether users have chosen to do so or not. Here, we’ll walk you through the process of reclaiming that space. The surest way to tell if you’ve been affected by the stealth download is to navigate to your C:\Windows directory. Once there, you’ll want to configure Explorer to show hidden files and folders.

In Windows 7, you do this by clicking on “Tools,” then “Folder Options,” and finally “Show Hidden Files and Folders,” as shown below. In Windows 8/8.1, click on the View tab and then select the “Hidden items” check box.

Once this is done, check your Windows directory for a directory named $WINDOWS.~BT. The icon may be translucent, since the folder is normally hidden, so check carefully. You can delete this folder if you wish, but doing so won’t actually prevent Microsoft from downloading the setup program again. Be very careful when opening these hidden systems folders, 1 slip on the keyboard could render Windows unbootable!

Once the OS has decided that you’re going to install Windows 10, it’s downright pushy about inserting the Win 10 install files into your system uninvited. The only solution to block it from returning after removal, according to various sources, is to actually remove a specific Windows Updates.

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-The Win 10 keylogger, which sends every keystroke you make and word you speak into the computer’s mic, whether you are online or not, back to Microsoft and the NSA, has been inserted into all versions of Win 7/8/8.1 thru unlabeled Windows Updates! Fortunately you can easily remove these updates from Win 7/8/8.1. Follow the instructions at the bottom of this article, http://tinyurl.com/os2po37 . To remove the keylogger from Win 10 follow these instructions, http://tinyurl.com/oljex2y .

-Nerja area is having a bad week for internet connectivity, both by phone line and wireless ISP. Some solid, phone based Telefonica 10MB/s connections in downtown Nerja were only getting 1.5 to 3MB/s. Some wireless ISPs were so slow email servers were logging you out for lack of activity while you waited for pages to fill in. Remember, there are 2 components to internet connections and they are equally important, speed and quality. You need both for optimum performance. Use www.speedof.me and www.pingtest.net to check these.

-Be careful when purchasing budget priced laptops under 500euros. If you feel the screen flex when you open the laptop avoid it! If the keyboard flexes when you type, avoid it! These are made of thin plastic and are prone to breakage. The only Lenovo laptops I recommend are the Thinkpad line.

I am now settled into my new location. To celebrate the move I am offering the following Special Deals for the remainder of September.